How the Heck Did They Find Us? (Breakout Session)

Session Description

We will describe how the Marketing Team at Wolf Creek Lodge, a senior cohousing community in Grass Valley, CA, has attempted to spread the word about Wolf Creek Lodge to attract visitors and ultimately members.

We identify our target audience and the influence of location.

We will examine print advertising, public radio, presentations, forums, movers and shakers, friends, word of mouth, free ink, social media, newsletter, websites and cooperation with other communities. We will report on what has worked and what has not.

We will describe how we are organized to follow up leads, encourage visits, sell the community and convert visitors into members.

We will discuss why recruiting senior cohousers is challenging.

Session Objectives
Attendees will receive information on which to base a marketing strategy.
They will learn about a process to follow up leads and convert them into community members.

About the Presenter/s

Claire and Bob are members of Wolf Creek Lodge, a senior cohousing community in Grass Valley, California. Wolf Creek Lodge construction was completed at the end of 2012. Claire was born and spent her youth in Saskatchewan Canada. Bob was born in England but spent his high school and college years in Scotland. They met in England, married and had two children. In 1978 they moved to Massachusetts where they lived for 25 years. Claire has had various careers but most significantly was a nurse, trainee midwife and Kitchen Designer. Bob worked in the computer industry and still works very part time work in this field. They have both always been active in their local Unitarian Universalist congregations. In 2004 they retired from Massachusetts to Truckee, CA in the northern Sierra. They became avid cross country and downhill skiers in the winter and hikers in the summer. On moving to Wolf Creek Lodge Claire served as the bookkeeper and was a leading contributor to the landscape team. Bob has focused on the technical team and marketing. Having survived on planet earth for over 70 years they look forward to many more in the company of their cohousing neighbors.
Bob Miller, bob [at] sierramiller [dot] com, 530-205-5047 (c)info [at] wolfcreeklodge [dot] org, 800-558-3775 (voice mail)www.wolfcreeklodge.org